Ways of forming imperatives

There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.

Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:

Second Person Affirmation

(1)
Shíká ’anilyeed.
1-for 2-run.I
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.)

Second Person Negation

Optative

(2)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’.
cat out-3-2-take.Opt
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]]

Optative + lágo

(3)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.
cat out-3-2-carry.O hope.not
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out.

t’áadoo V-

(4)
T’áadoo ’anit’íní!
neg 2-do.NI-Í
Don’t do that!

Fourth Person Affirmative

(5)
Hatáaldi jigháahgo hozhdísin łeh.
ceremony-at 4-go.I-GO 4-respect.NI usually
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony.

Fourth Person Negation

(6)
Doo ’ájíníi da!
neg 4-say.NI -neg
One doesn’t say that!

The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.

In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

Shideezhí t’áadoo ’ałtso ’íiłta’ t’óó nádzá.

1-sister NEG finish 3-read-NMLZ.NEG just 3-return.P

ʼÁłah ʼaleehdi ʼamá bééhániih daats’í bá ’ádazhniiyą́ą́’? ʼÁko daatsʼí nímasii łaʼ ʼakǫ́ǫ́ dííkááł.

group gathering-at mother 3-3-remember perhaps 3-for 4-pl-eat.P so perhaps potatoes some there 3-2-take.OC.F

bik’ídadidoohdis

pl-3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.F

bik’ídadiidis

pl-3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.I

bik’ídidíídis

3DO-2-wrap.it.around.it.F

Ch’iyáán nináhíłnihgo haa nízahjį’ ’ánádįįh?

food 3-2-buy.R how 3-long.N-up.to 3-become.none.R

dadidíníilkał

pl-3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

dadoołhį́į́’

pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.P

deiilyį́į́’

pl-3DO-1dpl-melt.it.(snow).P

deiyííyą́ą́’

pl-3DO-3dpl-eat.it.P

dididoołjah

3DO-2dpl-start.fire.F

didoołhįh

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.F

dishhį́į́h

3DO-1-melt.it.F

Dooládó’ shį́į́ ’adą́ą́dą́ą́’ shich’ohoos’ni’ da kintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso naadiinígíí ńdiiłtsooz.

wow probably yesterday 1-lucky.P town areal down 1-go.I Past money twenty-NOM 3-sit.FFO.P

Dzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.

bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NP

Dzghą́ą́’í bizaad doo shił bééhózin da.

White.Mountain.Apache-NOM 3-language NEG 1-with 3-ho-know.CI NEG

Ha’át’íísh neidiyoołnih nínízin?

who-Q 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NI

hadadíníilchał

pl-3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

hadaoołgizh

pl-3DO-2dpl-cut.it.out.P

hadeidoołtééł

pl-3DO-3dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hadííníłbįįd

3DO-2-fill.something.up.with.it.P

haiłgéésh

3DO-3-cut.it.out.I

hayíígeed

3DO-3-dig.it.out.P

jidííłhį́į́’

3DO-4-melt.it.P

K’ad níló shik’ijį’ nahałtingo bik’e’eeshchíí’.

now hail 1-on me 3 rain.I.GO 1-3-sting.P
listenloadingplaying

I got caught in a hail storm and the hail stings.

Kwii sínídáa dooleeł.

here 2-sit.SPN will.be.F

Mary ha’át’íí lá yinízin?

Mary what Q 3-3-want.NI

Mary ha’át’íí yinízin?

Mary what 3-3-want.NI

Na’ná’á biyaa góne’ dóó báhátis ’adiłt’oh.

bridge 3-under below and 3-across 3-3-shoot.P

Nichxǫ’ doo ájíléeh da.

stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t do bad stuff!

Nida’iishnishgo hooghangóó nídésdzáa lą́ą.

1-after.work.P-GO home-to 1-go.F EMP

nidajizlá

pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.P

nidasiilkáá’

pl-3DO-1dpl-investigate.it.P

Nimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́dooleeł.

your aunt 3-house-to 2-run-and that-way baby 3-for 2-care.CI FUT

NTUdi hooghannimází góne’ Diné bizaad baa ’iinishta’

NTU-at hogan inside Diné 3-language 3-for 1-read.I

She’abe’ sits’ą́ą́’ wóódlą́ą́’ lágo.

1-milk 1-from 3-2-drink.O LÁGO

Shimá ná’áłkadgo b yá’át’ééh.

1-mother 3-sew.I-GO 3-with 3-be.good.NI

Shizhé'é ’ałah ’aleehgóó ’iiyahígíí shił bééhózin.

1-father meeting-to 3-go.P-ÍGÍÍ 1-with 3-3-know.CI
listenloadingplaying

I know that my father went to the meeting.

T’ah doo la’ shą́ą́’ ’azhjaa’góó náádiikáah da.

not.yet DISC flea market-to 1pl-run.I NEG

T’áadoo béeso baa nishníłí bił ’aná’oolwod.

NEG money 3-for 3-1-lend.I 3-with 3-run.off.P
listenloadingplaying

He left before I could give him the money.

T’ą́ą́tsoh táá’góó yoołkáłę́ędą́ą́’ ’ałdó’ Tóta’góó tádííyá.

May three-góó day-past also Farmington-góó 1-went.P

T’áadoo hooyání łį́į́’ shidáagi ch’éltáál.

suddenly horse 1-front-at 3-bolt.P
listenloadingplaying

All of a sudden the horse ran right in front of me.

Ted ’éí NLA da’ólta’í ’ayóo dahayóígo yoodlą́.

Ted TOP NLA students very pl.3.be.able.I-GO 3-3-believe.NI

yik’íideezdiz

3DO-3-wrap.it.around.it.P

Yiską́ągo ’azee’ííłíní niwoo’ yideeshnish doo.

tomorrow doctor 2-teeth 3-2-work.F will.be

Yiską́ągoósh ’adeestsił nínízingo bee na’anishí hasht’enilééh?

tomorrow-Q 1-make.F 2-want.NI-GO tool 3-2-prepare.I

yiyíí’aal

3DO-3-chew.it.P

Ła’ nídeezid yę́ędą́ą́’ ’áajigo niséyá.

one month past that-way-GO 1.go.P

Łáháda ’ach’íí’ náshdį́į́h.

now.and.then rolled.intestine 1-eat.R

“Níléí dził binaagóó ’ahééh hi’díníilchééł”, ní jiní ma’ii.

yonder.there mountain 3-around-GÓÓ around 2-du-run.F 3-say.P 4-say.P coyote